Sleep Apnea Myths: What’s The Real Deal?

March 29, 2016

If you’ve ever slept next to snorer you know how unpleasant it can be. If you’ve never slept next to a snorer then we have bad news: it’s probably you!

All joking aside, chronic snoring is a serious problem that you should be worried about. If you habitually and loudly snore there’s a good possibility you’re suffering from sleep apnea, a serious condition that causes your breathing to stop while you sleep. These episodes are called apneas, and can occur multiple times a night.

We see a lot of sleep apnea patients at Really Smile Dentistry, and many of them are confused about what sleep apnea is. There’s plenty of bad information out there about this horrible condition, and we want to take the time to give you the facts about it before you end up doing yourself serious harm!

Myth: Sleep Apnea Only Happens To Overweight People

Let’s make one thing very clear: sleep apnea is a condition that definitely affects far more obese people than those at a healthy weight. It doesn’t mean that it can’t affect people who are completely healthy, though!

Plenty of healthy people suffer from sleep apnea because the cause is simply airway blockage. Apneic episodes can happen because of excess tissue surrounding your airway, be it fat or muscle tissue. You can also suffer from the condition if you smoke, drink excessively, suffer from diabetes, or a variety of other health conditions. Don’t think that just because you’re in shape you can’t develop sleep apnea!

Myth: Sleep Apnea Is Annoying, But Doesn’t Have Many Serious Risks

We hear this one a lot – many patients assume that sleep apnea only causes obnoxious snoring and maybe some daytime fatigue if your sleep gets interrupted. Not true at all!

Sleep apnea patients suffer from a number of health conditions and increased risks. If you have sleep apnea you are far more likely to have a heart attack, hypertension, stroke, a fatigue-related accident at work, home, or on the road, and many other conditions.

Sleep apnea disturbs your body’s ability to regulate oxygen flow and puts serious strain on your heart. The damage it causes is cumulative, so your risks only increase over time!

Myth: If You Snore You Have Sleep Apnea

Does everyone with a headache suffer from migraines? No, and it’s the same for sleep apnea: snoring is a symptom that indicates there may be a problem – it isn’t a diagnosis by itself. In order to determine if you have sleep apnea you have to go through a sleep test that monitors your breathing, heart rate, and other biological signs. A single night of data is enough to tell whether or not you have a problem.

Occasional snoring, even loudly, isn’t a definite sign of sleep apnea, but it can serve as a warning. If you are regularly told about your loud, constant snoring it’s probably a good idea to think about a sleep apnea test!

Myth: The Only Treatment For Sleep Apnea Is A CPAP Machine

CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is a tried and true solution for sleep apnea patients. Many people don’t like wearing a face mask that forces pressurized air down their windpipes while they sleep, however, and it’s completely understandable!

While CPAP machines are almost guaranteed to work they aren’t the only solution. We’re proud to be able to offer less invasive oral appliances for sleep apnea at our Carmel office. These easy-to-wear mouthpieces can alleviate snoring and sleep apnea so that you get a restful AND quiet night of sleep.

Once we know for sure that you suffer from sleep apnea we can recommend a variety of oral appliances to treat you. We custom build your oral appliance from an impression of your mouth, making them fit perfectly, comfortably, and easily.

If you’ve tried CPAP treatment in the past, feel it wouldn’t be right for you, or would prefer a simpler alternative then oral appliance therapy is a great choice. We’d be happy to help you put an end to your sleep apnea symptoms and the risk they pose, so don’t hesitate to start on the road to relief today!

Sleep Well The Easy Way

Our Carmel dental team has the perfect appliances to help relieve your snoring and sleep apnea. All it takes to get permanent relief is a call to our office today – we look forward to hearing from you!

Meet the Doctor

“I chose dentistry as my life’s work because I have the privilege to serve people in a way that is truly life-changing. I was honored with the appointment by Indianapolis Woman Magazine as Makeover Dentist 2008."